Larisa Ceric confirms top year with victory in Zagreb

Bosnian star Larisa Ceric has been prolific in 2016 and her run of IJF World Judo Tour hardware looks no sign of abating as she defeated a very worthy contender in Carolin Weiss of Germany in the +78kg final. Rio 2016 Olympian Ceric scored a yuko from an osoto-makikomi and Weiss, Budapest Grand Prix winner, could not reply with an attack of any real degree of substance. Ceric was also World Judo Masters bronze medallist in May this year.

In the first semi-final Ceric defeated Sarajevo European Cup silver medallist Milica Zabic of Serbia to reach her first Grand Prix final. The red-headed rivals are close friends off the mat but all friendships are on hold when two judoka oppose each other on the tatami and Ceric actually submitted Zabic with a koshi-jime strangle and then made sure the Serbian heavyweight was ok before they hugged and went their separate ways in the +78kg competition. In the second semi-final Weiss held down Tallinn European Open bronze medallist Sandra Jablonskyte of Lithuania for 15 seconds for her second and match-winning waza-ari to setup the anticipated women’s heavyweight final.

The first bronze medal was won by Jablonskyte who was too strong for 18-year-old European Youth Olympics Festival bronze medallist Szigetvari Mercedesz (HUN). The Lithuanian scored a yuko from a harai-makikomi and moved into the osaekomi for 20 seconds as her Hungarian rival was powerless to stop Jablonskyte. The second bronze medal was won by Dubrovnik European Cup winner Ivana Sutalo (CRO) who defeated Zabic in just 33 seconds. Sutalo won their only previous meeting and doubled her head-to-head advantage with a ura-nage after 10 seconds for a yuko score and then the home fighter held down the Serbian with a kesa-gatame for 20 seconds and ippon.